Peaeley j



i (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. l P. J. SPRAGUB.

Flour and Meal Sifter.

' No. 232,562. Patented Sept. 21,1880.

NJETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

'- P. J. SPRAGUE.

Flour and Meal Sifter.

No. 232,562. Patented Sept. 21,1880.

WITN 7* WWE W V I "EH05 f ATTORNEYS -PErERs, PnnTmuTHoGRAPnER,WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT UEEreE.

PEARLEY J. SPRAGUE, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDJOHN S. KING, OF SAME PLACE.

FLOUR AND MEAL SIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,562, datedSeptember 21, 1880.

Application filed April 10,1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: way-as, for instance, by means of a rod, 11,Be it known that I, PEARLEY J. SPRAG-UE, which fits into a hole in theupper portion of of Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and the conicalfunnel I. A bar, h, extends across State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new the sieve, and is secured to its upper rim, said 55 anduseful Improvements in Flour and Meal bar being provided with adeflecting-plate, h, Sifters 5 and 1 do hereby declare that the foluponwhich the flour or meal falls as it passes lowing is a full, clear, andexact description of out from the funnel G. The vibrations of the theconstruction and operation of the same, funnel I causea like movementofthis deflectreferenee being had to the annexed drawings, ing-plate underthe funnel G, so that when 60 making a part of this specification, andto the the deflecting-plate is directly under the disletters and figuresof reference marked thereon. charge-openin g of the funnel G the feed ofthe Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation flour or meal will beretarded, thus preventing of a front of my flour and meal sifter, partlytoo much of either article from being fed into open to show theinterior. Fig. 2 is a longithe sieve and keeping the feed proportionate65 tudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is to the amount siftedout. When the deflect a view of the sieve. Fig. etis an interior planing-plate is inclined to either side, however, view, and Fig. 5 is asectional view. the flour or meal feeds 'freely upon it, and is Thepresent invention relates to a flour and deflected to either side of thesieve, according meal sifter; and it consists in the features of to theside to which the deflecting-plate is vi- 7o construction andcombination hereinafter debrated.

scribed, and particularly pointed out in the I find that by thusintroducing the flour or claims. meal into the sieve near its sidesbetter results In the drawings, A designates a cylindrical are obtainedthan if it were introduced to the casing which is open at its top endand closed center thereof, since in vibrating the sieve the 75 at thebottom. This casing has a sliding door, tendency of the flour or mealwill be to cola, which, when raised, is retained in an elelect in thecenter of the same. vated position by a spring, a. The sifted flour ormeal passes through the In the upper portion of the casing A is arfunnelbelow the sieve and falls upon any reranged a conical hopper, B, therim 1) of which ceptacle placed on the bottom of the casing. 80 issecured to the casing. Below the hopper This funnel vibrates upon a bar,L, which is is arranged a partition, 0, having a central secured to thecasing A. passage, 0, equal in area to the area of the The mechanism forvibrating the funnel discharge-opening of the hopper. The hopper whichcarries the sieve consists of a gear, M, is divided by apartition, D, sothat its disactuated by a handle, N, and gearing with a 8 5 3 5charge-opening will be likewise divided. The gear, P,upon the shaft ofsaid gear I, acranktwo outlets thus formed are opened or closed handlebeing formed which operates a pitman, by valves E E, which slide uponthe partition R, and this,inturn,actuates the funnel through 0, so thatwhen a considerable quantity of the medium of a connecting-rod, S.

flour or meal remains in the hopper after clos- The valves of the upperhopper are operated o ing the valves the partition 0 will support the byrods T, and a hinged clasp is provided for valves against the weightupon them. securing the sieve to the vibratory funnel, this By dividingthe hopper by a vertical particlasp being employed in addition to therod betion into two compartments flour can be placed fore mentioned. inone compartment and meal in the other, The cover W of the casing isprovided with 9 5 thus admitting of the feed of either one or a board,W, which serves as a bread-board.

both articles together to the vibratory sieve. What I claim is- Thepartition 0 supplies a support for a coni- 1. In a flour or meal sitter,the combination cal funnel, G, the upper rim of which is se of avibratory sieve with the hopper B, slidecured in any suitable way to thepartition. valves E, andthe conical funnel G, substan- Ice The sieve His detachably secured to a vitially as specified.

bratory funnel, 1, in any ordinary mechanical 2. In a flour or mealsifter, the combination xo necting-r0d. ancl with the crank-arm of oneof the actuating gearwheels, substantially as specified. v 77 Intestimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name inthe presence of two witnesses.

PEARLEY J. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses JAMES W. HURsT, W. H. LIGHT.

